Haskap Timeline

 Haskaps have been commercially grown around the world for years.

1950 - Russia Breeding work done through the Vavilov Institute. This cultural fruit is grown and sold in small pockets around the county.

1970 - Japan Hokkaido University in Sapporo began commercially breeding the fruit. Outside of this research, haskaps have been gathered from the original, the wild bushes for generations. In 2018 Andrew, Rosy Farms owner, went to Japan on a trades mission on behalf of North 49 Fruit. He had the honor of receiving a tour of Japan's haskap breeding grounds; bushes with haskap berries of all the different shapes, sizes and colours - reds, blues, deep purples.

1998 - Haskaps come to Norths America, to the University of Saskatchewan. This was a side research project for years before becoming a funded program in 2006. They released their original cultivars in 2005. (see below) Rosy Farms was the first Alberta grower of these varieties. The U of Sask. program has developed numerous other successful cultivars since.

Dr. Maxine Thompson

Meanwhile, in Corvallis Oregon, Dr. Maxine Thompson started her breeding work. While she spent her entire professional career studying/breeding hazelnuts, after retirement she became very interested in haskaps.

She learned Russian so she could read the Russian research journals on haskaps, before bringing them to North America to develop new varieties. Andrew visited her in 2018, when she was 89 years old.

Her test orchard was immaculate and Dr. Maxine was really excited and invested in developing the berries. She truly is North America's "Mother of Haskaps". 

Development of Haskap Varieties in Canada

Wild Haskaps - Used for research testing, not commercially eaten

• Very small berry, about 0.2g

• Roughly 5000 berries = 1 kg of fruit

• Range in height from 1' to 3' to 4', grows naturally in boggy conditions

• Taste - not pleasant to horrible

Old Cultivars - Svetlana, Cinderella, Blue Bell, Berry Blue

• Small fruit weighing 1 gm, on average

• Roughly 1000 berries = 1 kg of fruit

• Taste - very astringent, but acceptable. Berry characteristics such as overall size, skin thickness, juiciness, ease of release from the bush were not yet developed enough for commercial production.

New Cultivars - Suitable for Commercial Haskap Farming

• Cultivars with berries averaging 2.5 gm

• Roughly 400 berries = 1 kg of fruit

• Rounded to elongated form.

• Splendid flavors and colours

• Easy to harvest commercially with little to no damage to fruit